In short
Tottenham Hotspur’s near-complete signing of Xavi Simons and what it means for Thomas Frank’s tactics, especially breaking down low blocks and competing in multiple game states.
Guests
Ben Bowman and Kish from Lily White Lab. Both discuss Spurs recruitment strategy and tactical fit; they reference Tottenham’s recent transfer targets and Frank’s press-conference comments.
Key claims
Simons is a “complete” 10 who can drop deeper, progress play, and create goals/assists in the final third. His ball-carrying, creativity in tight spaces, and mentality “raise the floor” and “raise the ceiling” of Spurs’ attack. They argue Premier League “physicality” concerns are overstated: it’s intensity/speed that matters, and Simons has handled high-tempo leagues. Squad-building should be about rotation and opposition-specific XIs, not a single “best XI.”
Notable examples
A described outside-of-the-boot pass/goal sequence involving Simons and Cesc at Leipzig; a mention of his fouls drawn (top 1% cited) and a Newcastle game where he wasn’t bullied. Stats cited: 0.4 goals/90, 43% shot-on-target conversion, and high progressive carries/touches in the box; he draws fouls leading to shooting positions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Excitement Around Xavi Simons
1:06 to 1:33
Discussion on the significance of Xavi Simons' signing for Spurs.
“And a throwback flick at the local drive-in.”
The Excitement Around Xavi Simons
2:25 to 5:48
Discussion on the significance of Xavi Simons' signing for Spurs.
“Hello, welcome back to another episode of The Lab.”
Analyzing Simons' Impact and Fit
5:48 to 10:40
Exploring how Simons fits into the team's tactics and his potential contributions.
“Well, the link started with him, I think, literally at the start of summer.”
Future Squad Dynamics and Competition
10:40 to 14:00
Evaluating how Simons affects team competition and future strategies.
“I was so upset and genuinely affected by the fact that Eze went to Arsenal.”
The Evolution of Squad Strategy
14:00 to 17:44
Explore the shifting dynamics of squad rotation and player utilization in modern football.
“Obviously, regardless of the PSG result, pretty much we're all spot on in terms of game plans.”
Analyzing Xavi Simons' Attributes
17:44 to 21:39
Delve into Xavi Simons' key skills and potential impact on the team.
“And I'm borrowing heavily from a Substack here that was posted on Reddit by...”
Physicality vs. Intensity in the Premier League
21:39 to 22:26
Understand the differences between physicality and intensity for players transitioning to the Premier League.
“in the Premier League season is going to be tough.”
Physicality vs. Intensity in the Premier League
23:06 to 23:33
Understand the differences between physicality and intensity for players transitioning to the Premier League.
“and a throwback flick at the local drive-in.”
Xavi Simons' Career Path and Mentality
23:33 to 28:00
Discuss Xavi Simons' journey through youth football to becoming a key player.
“And also, with that game against Newcastle on Monday night with VERS, that wasn't even the issue.”
Xavi Simons' Career Progression
28:00 to 30:20
Explore how Xavi Simons has made strategic career choices leading to his signing with Spurs.
“that's been very well actually advised and he's maneuvered through his career, actually, like you just said, very, very well.”
Show all 21 chapters
Simons' Skillset and Impact
30:20 to 34:16
Discusses Simons' playing style, his strengths in shooting and passing, and expected contributions at Spurs.
“Like he's, it's a real, it's a top signing.”
Breaking Down Low Blocks
34:16 to 40:17
Analyzes strategies for breaking down defensive teams and how Simons fits into Spurs' approach.
“Simmons, Eze, Gibbs-White and Paz again, sorry.”
Breaking Down Low Blocks
40:51 to 41:19
Analyzes strategies for breaking down defensive teams and how Simons fits into Spurs' approach.
“and a throwback flick at the local drive-in.”
Simons as a Valuable Asset
41:19 to 42:02
Highlights Simons' ability to draw fouls and contribute to set pieces, emphasizing his potential impact at Spurs.
“I think that's another great way to break and find gaps.”
Xavi Simons' Impact on Spurs
42:02 to 43:39
Explore how Xavi Simons' statistics and abilities will enhance Tottenham's gameplay.
“And like you say, against low blocks, his progressive carries per nightly is 3.5.”
Frustrations with the Transfer Process
43:40 to 45:12
Discuss the challenges and frustrations experienced during the transfer window.
“I've spoken about this a few times today, like the process and how we got here does worry you about future transfer windows, I guess.”
Evaluating Simons' Fit and Future Concerns
45:13 to 47:50
Analyze the suitability of Xavi Simons for Spurs and worries about the future.
“Any part of you did your heart jump a little bit?”
Financial Implications of Simons' Signing
47:51 to 49:24
Examine the financial aspects of Xavi Simons' contract and its implications for Spurs.
“So I'm not going to sit here and bitch about the fact that he's on loads of money.”
Championship Aspirations for Spurs
49:25 to 51:04
Discuss how Xavi Simons changes expectations for the upcoming season.
“So how does this change the expectations for the season, Kish?”
Final Thoughts and Predictions
51:05 to 54:11
Wrap up with reflections on the current squad and hopes for the season ahead.
“I don't know, say for example, someone like a lookman, or an incentive back depth, you're just 10 out of 10, like pretty much.”
Final Thoughts and Predictions
54:12 to 55:09
Wrap up with reflections on the current squad and hopes for the season ahead.
“I wonder what the protests are going to look like tomorrow.”
Transcript
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0:55Kish:might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer, find more on Facebook. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Shave ice by the beach. A trip to the state fair. And a throwback flick at the local drive-in. They're more than just items to check off the summer bucket list. They're also opportunities to earn 2 % daily cash back when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card now and use in minutes with Apple Pay. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Terms and more at applecard.com.
1:32Ben Bowman:In this episode of The Lab, we sit down with Ben Bowman and Kish from Lily White Lab to dive into Tottenham's huge capture of Xavi Simmons. We break down what makes him such a special talent, why his ball carrying creativity and mentality sets him apart, and how Thomas Frank could build a side around him. We also look at where he fits in with our other players like Mohamed Koudis, Brennan Johnson, Bereval, Saar, and the rest of the Spurs attack, and what this means for breaking down low blocks and how the signing changes our ambitions this season. Is this the shift Spurs fans have been waiting for?
2:08Ben Bowman:Thank you for choosing to listen to The Lab. I implore you, if you can, to hit the follow button on The Lab feed. If you're listening to this on the Fighting Cock feed, go over to the Lab Feed, subscribe to it, and then you'll receive every episode that we do. And five stars. Wouldn't go miss either. Up the spurs. What a sign-in. We are absolutely fucking buzzing. Come on.
2:50Ben Bowman:Hello, welcome back to another episode of The Lab. It's a special one, one that I'm sure most people will be interested in listening to because Tottenham Hotspur have all but signed. Javi Simmonds joined today to talk about that. Kish from Lily White Lab. How are you doing, Kish?
3:06Kish:I'm good. How are you? Very happy with the news, obviously.
3:11Ben Bowman:Yeah, I can't wait to find out what you think about him. You sort of think about these footballers in a different way than I do. I'm just like, he sounds good, put the ball in the net, and I'm happy. Whereas there's particular details about his game that's very interesting. And Ben Bowman. Let's go. Let's go. We are so back. Yeah. I mean, yes. Well, we'll see because Frank has just given his press conference and he said, we're working hard to get it over the line. And you're like, surely it's done, Frank. Surely it's done. I've got podcasts to make and put out. Please tell me it's done. And as you say, he said, Ben, that he will hopefully have some very good news for Spurs fans later on today.
3:53Ben Bowman:Yeah, just probably working on the greatest announcement video of all time. Yeah, probably. Well, the media needs time to get done. It developed very quickly, didn't it? We knew there was an interest to some degree, but there should be an interest in all the best young players in Europe. but it then just said Spurs are interested it was that no what it was is Ornstein put out no Miguel Delaney put out a list of five players that Spurs are interested in and then he followed it up with a tweet that said strangely Xavi Xavi Simmonds seems like that's most gettable you had Morgan you had Morgan Rodgers on there I can't remember who the others were now and uh from that point it just gained momentum and gained momentum and then suddenly but like last night we're all on our phones and it's like i've gone from going chelsea gonna hijack this at any minute because chelsea have been tracking him you know in the media have been tracking him throughout that you know throughout the summer it's gonna get hijacked at any minute i'm not getting caught i'm definitely not looking at youtube compilations definitely not gonna do that because that was just punishment like five minutes later i'm looking at the bundles league were put together why this kid is so special and i'm like fuck me i need him i need him he's talking we're talking to you ben i was like i need him i need him it's so weird i'm saying this i'm a 43 year old man he's 22 and i need him yeah um yeah but frank what was interesting i think would be good to touch on is uh frank we use most of the press conferences to talk about jed spence and that's a really important thing because he's just been brought into the england squad from the journey that he's had and it says something about frank that says that when javi simmons is coming we need to talk about jed spence right now because it's an amazing thing i quite like that anyway Kish, let's start with you and get your thoughts on what you think about the signing, the potential impact that he will make.
5:47Ben Bowman:And did you conceive of a world that we'd be able to bring him in?
5:53Kish:Well, the link started with him, I think, literally at the start of summer. But it was always kind of a distant dream for me. I did say from the start that he was my number one choice if we were going to go for a 10. So I've always been big on his sort of hype train. And then obviously Chelsea became very interested, which seems to happen with a lot of young, talented players that we might even get linked to. And then Chelsea seemed to just buy them. So I was kind of disinterested at that point. But then when it started coming up again, I was like, well, we need one more than any club in the world at the moment.
6:35Kish:and he's the perfect fit in terms of he matches what we want to do age-wise because for Levy, sell-on value is massive and for the club, buying someone at 22, 23 is... It is...
6:49Ben Bowman:When's the last time you sold a player? Like, it's just...
6:51Kish:Yeah. Probably be going on a free in about five years, isn't it? Sorry, carry on. Yeah, but all the... I guess since we started, this sort of young player, they're all still young, I guess. But yeah, Levy doesn't like selling. but he wants so long. I don't know. Yeah. Anyway, but in terms of the fit for Frank, he's very rounded. So he can sort of drop into deeper areas, progress play really well. And then once he gets in the final third, he can bring goals and assists. I think Frank wants that kind of all action player in the 10. He wants someone that's going to affect all parts of the game, both on the ball and off the ball and I think Simmons is that like he's so complete physically mentally technically just very very very complete player and the player that takes any team up a level that he joins regardless of who they are.
7:42Ben Bowman:How about you Ben how do you feel about it overall?
7:45Kish:Yeah I pretty much echo all of that really I mentioned Javi Simmons at the start of the summer but also almost kind of didn't really say it with that much conviction because it just didn't feel realistic I remember making a video at the start of June saying that I was just convinced that with Bayern Munich what they needed with Musiala getting injured at the club world cup and them needing someone that can maybe play in the 10 or play kind of out on the wing and the level that I thought Xavi Simmons could get to and around that sort of price point I just thought he was going to end up there like at one of the very best clubs in Europe and then like Kiss said when Chelsea kind of get involved you just tend to check out a little bit and obviously then things started to develop with Gibbs Wyatt and then after that fell through obviously things started to develop with Eze he's always in the back of your mind.
8:26Kish:I remember like saying to, I remember saying when we lost out on Gibbs White, it was like go and hijack one of those deals, Simmons or Eze. And thankfully we ended up with one of them. I think the thing is, is that when you, in terms of the club's point of view, there's always been a lot of frustration around that, but it feels like we're kind of shopping in a bit of a different pool now. Like Kish has kind of said it there in terms of like, we're still doing what we feel is the overarching objective in terms of bringing in young players and developing them. But when you're linked with players like Simmons, that naturally, it's like you've kind of gone from shopping in like Marks and Spencers to shopping in like Harrods and naturally things can go wrong when you're competing with the sort of teams that we can been competing for these players so it's just a massive shock really that we've been able to kind of get this over the line and like profile wise like Kish said it makes so much sense I said about Gibbs White as well when we were linked with him quite different players but I think both so strong in terms of their ball carrying ability um it's like it feels like we're really building a squad that can compete in all game states and when you add that to a manager that's so pragmatic and flexible with his tactics, it's quite easy to start to see where some of these players that we have been linked with and then the one that we've got over the line fit in.
9:30Kish:And like Kish says, you want that from your number 10. You want them to be the heartbeat in terms of dictating the playmaking. You want to be able to find them in the final third and make things happen in around the box. But you also want them to be able to get you up the pitch as well. And Simmons ticks so many of those boxes. He's just a, he's a superstar, like genuine superstar, I think.
9:47Ben Bowman:It does feel like that sort of superstar, you know, type signing. You know, I'm thinking like Van der Venn, sorry, Van der Vart felt similar. And Dombele. Yeah. And Dombele felt that. Yeah, yeah. It was ridiculous for us to even imagine. But do you know what I mean? It's that level. You're like, you're actually buying a player that kind of ready-made improves the first team, first 11. And, you know, I know it's just a long way away, but eventually James Madison will be fit again to play football for Tottenham. And having two players of that quality, being able to play in the 10, play in different systems, Frank might want to use two 10s at some point.
10:30Ben Bowman:And we're sort of stacking the squad with players that are able to play in multiple positions, but also offer quality across the pitch. And Javi Simmons is like the top of it. A week ago, I was ready to try it. I was so upset and genuinely affected by the fact that Eze went to Arsenal. And that's it. I think that's across the Tottenham fan base. When you look on Twitter, there isn't a tweet out there that doesn't also mention Eze. I did it as well. Like, you know, this morning when I said that it's funny, it's mad that now when Simmons comes, that we'll have two number 10s better than Eze at the club.
11:07Ben Bowman:And I genuinely believe that, though. It's a joke. but I think Madison for me and it isn't shared by a lot of people but I think Madison even if Eze come if he was fit Madison would start ahead of Eze if it was about that 10 roll I know there's different things you know different skill sets that perhaps Eze or Simmons has but Madison doesn't but my point is stacking the squad with quality players
11:31Kish:Madison's just like universally hated outside of Spurs though and I think it's also kind of criminally underrated by a small part of our fan base as well like I don't think there's much in it but you can certainly make that argument. And it's like, like you said, there will be a world, there's a world in 12 months time when Madison comes back. Of course, he's going to be a year older and it's going to take him time to kind of recover but there's also a world in which they play together. Like that was one of the kind of things I was thinking about earlier when you think about different ways that Frank has set up.
11:58Kish:If you go back to the first game of pre-season where Mikey Moore was playing out on that left-hand side and Doggy was kind of playing as that overlapping fullback, Mikey Moore was drifting into that 10 position. and it's like he had two number 10s it was divine and more kind of both playing those pockets and it's like with simmons's versatility you can easily see him kind of doing the same thing in certain games where you can have a front line of kudus or kulezewski and then madison and simmons with simmons getting into those central pockets like coming from the left hand side so it's like it's just it's a it's a massive ceiling raiser kind of signing for spurs in terms of like he's a superstar and it raises the floor of our squad in terms of the quality but also like signing a play like this does also put pressure on like the likes of madison and kulezevsky a little bit for when they come back from their injury that competition breeds that quality and brings the best out of players as well so it's so it's like there's definitely a world in which all these players can kind of coexist when kulezevsky and madison come back and that's really exciting but the level that they come back to is also going to be exciting to see because when you think of their both of their mentality a sign like simmons massively has to push them i think yeah and i'm thinking about um the way that we played against psg with a we played a sort of 5-3-2 but in a sort of 3-4-3 in a big game and having kudus and simmons behind a striker are like two players that can carry us up the pitch so well but also with quality so obviously pape sarr is a great carrier great over long distances but when he gets into the final third he's not going to create probably probably unlikely to create something magic.
13:30Kish:Whereas having Simmons and Kudus, who are physically and athletically capable, but also once they do get there, can be decisive and lead to goals and assists. I think in big games, especially in the Champions League, I think we'll see potentially Frank opt for that, which I think, again, is just another string to his bow. And I'm really, that's the one thing I'm enjoying about Frank is just how differently we're playing in every game. Even personnel-wise, He's rotating really well. He knows exactly what he wants from each game, specific game plans. Obviously, regardless of the PSG result, pretty much we're all spot on in terms of game plans.
14:08Kish:So I think it's really good to have flexible players that can play multiple positions and a big squad that can rotate and make sure to carry out the task that he wants.
14:20Ben Bowman:This is the thing. You both mentioned it, that it isn't necessary. What your thoughts on this is, Kish, is that it's not necessarily a first 11, a best 11, that idea of a best 11 in this modern era where all of the big six clubs are stacking talent in their squad. I've never known a transfer market where so much money has been spent collectively across the big six. and it seems like, I don't know if there's this kind of collective idea that this is what you have to do to succeed or whether we were just following Liverpool or what the expectation might be in terms of how transfer policy is conducted in future.
15:03Ben Bowman:It's about keeping up with Chelsea, you just buy in 10 to 15 players, first team ready, every window, it seems. so there may be kind of this this shift from what is a best 11 and actually it's about especially for frank you'd imagine that he has so many systems and so many ways of playing that he needs he needs a spread of talent across all positions and like do you think that's correct kish that do you think we we do have a best first 11 or is it about keeping players fresh for as many games as possible and there will be rotation and it's not necessarily players being dropped they're
15:47Kish:being rotated that kind of I think I think obviously people when they when they talk about this argument they always say yeah but if you had a cup final tomorrow who would you who would be 11 I think that that in itself is a different 11 to where if you're playing because all games are as important as each other like to get to cup finals or to get to a title race for example you have to beat what's in front of you you have to be the Burnleys at home you have to be kind of Bournemouth away and these kind of different games. So, yeah, I think every single game, especially under a manager like Thomas Frank, who's so adaptable, so flexible, is going to be a different XI.
16:22Kish:And we saw that with the starting XI on the first day of the season. I think everyone was a little bit surprised by the fact that Graham Bergvot started that game after such a good performance against PSG from Benzincourt and Poligno. But that's the kind of thing I've been screaming for, is that's the rotation that, one, keeps the squad fresh, but also looking at the profiles of players helps you win the game. And it's like, what do we need? What's best going to help us win this game specifically? So against Man City, Pelinho was there to clean up kind of all the spaces that City wanted to exploit and the half spaces and kind of him just scanning that area and protecting the back four.
16:56Kish:But then against Burnley, we kind of knew, okay, we need to be more progressive. That's not really Pelinho's game. So let's put Graeme Bergwijn, who obviously they're not massively progressive passes, but they're certainly more progressive than Polina. So I think it comes down to a squad game and big games require certain individuals. Games at home against low blocks require certain individuals and I don't think it's about who's better or whatever. It's just kind of different for each opposition.
17:22Ben Bowman:Yeah, I mean, we've gone from relying on Saar as like our own intent to being able now to rotate and give him time off because his type of play, although he seems to never tire at all and his engine just continues to rumble on, regardless of what minute it is, naturally he's going to suffer from fatigue. So it's just about building that squad. So let's get into Xavi Simmons. And I'm borrowing heavily from a Substack here that was posted on Reddit by... The name of it is Data Driven Spurs. So if you use Substack and you want to support some good work, then go over to Substack and read data-driven Spurs.
18:05Ben Bowman:But what he did was compare Xavi Simmonds to the other targets. So Gibbs-White, Eze and Nicolas Paz. In terms of what his key attributes are, Ben, what do you think they are?
18:26Kish:His ball-carrying ability, his ability to kind of play in tight spaces and take players out of the game. I think he's ranked in the top 1 % off for the most fouls drawn. So it shows that he can kind of receive the ball in those kind of crowded areas and wriggle out and players have to take him down to try and stop him really. His ability to play, he had such a good relationship with Cesc, I think in that kind of second season last year. Leipzig, those kind of little outside the boot, three balls to kind of play him in behind.
18:56Ben Bowman:If you haven't seen this, go and have a look now. Now, there's a point where Leipzig are defending and the ball comes out to Xavi on the edge of the box and he carries it slightly and then just with his outside of the boot, curled pass down the wing into the path of Cesco and then finishes with his own outside of the boot finish lob from about 30 yards. It's an insane goal against him.
19:20Kish:He's done that so many times as well. When he was looking through footage earlier, he's quite Madison-like. Madison kind of likes to do that as well to kind of create these kind of different angles. But yeah, receiving under pressure in tight spaces, ball carrying ability over long distances, which again makes you a massive threat on transition. Like when, as Kish was saying there about having Kudus and Simmons kind of driving you forward, it's insane. His decision-making then when he does get into the final third, his both-footedness as well in terms of his shooting and his passing. I think one of the things as well, I think one of the biggest challenges, and I don't know if you're going to bring it up, or one of the biggest rebuttals I think some people might have had to his signing is can he hack the physicality of the Prem like his low set like nobody would have been set like I remember people probably said that about like Eden Hazard for example when he came from France to Modric yeah Modric like Hazard when he came from France to the Premier League like smaller guy but it's that low centre of gravity so good at kind of drawing players in and using that strength and that low centre of gravity to kind of spin away from players
20:19Ben Bowman:and make things happen it's also the physicality things that he's blown up as well like the players are so protected now and the bar I appreciate the bar for fouls has been risen this season per instruction from the PGMOL, but they're still protected. They're not getting... It ain't got Vinny Jones going through him from behind, is he? It's very different. It's a much more technical game now than it ever has been. So I don't think... Yeah.
20:41Kish:I think people get confused between physicality and intensity. I think intensity is something that any player, I think, coming to the Premier League could struggle from. And that's the speed of play and how quickly things move in the Premier League and how much you're pressed and how much kind of high tempo play you've got to be playing strength like physicality of the Premier League I mean there's a lot of physical players in the Premier League for sure but Xavi Simmonds has never struggled physically he never has he's not he's not a tall player but you don't really get tens that are tall that often like you've got that's a sort of perfect prime height for a number 10 is like the Madison-esque height no one really complains about Madison's physicality, I don't think.
21:23Kish:I think where the physicality things come from is because Verts has come from the same league. He's played in two of the most intense games you play in the Premier League, which is Newcastle and Bournemouth, who are high energy, high intensity. And for that to be your first two games in the Premier League season is going to be tough. So I think I don't see the physicality issues. Imagine buying your kid a toy only to find the batteries aren't included or buying furniture, but missing the tools to build it. frustrating right now imagine the exact same feeling but you're paying way more that is what buying business software usually feels like fragmented disconnected and incredibly expensive odoo completely changes that odoo is a complete fully integrated business suite where all your apps actually talk to each other we're talking automated lead routing for your sales team seamless AI integration, and intuitive point-and-click website builder.
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23:03Kish:This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Shave ice by the beach. A trip to the state fair. and a throwback flick at the local drive-in. They're more than just items to check off the summer bucket list. They're also opportunities to earn 2 % daily cash back when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card now and use In Minutes with Apple Pay. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Terms and more at applecard.com. And also, with that game against Newcastle on Monday night with VERS, that wasn't even the issue. It wasn't like he was getting bullied around or anything like that.
23:40Kish:I think it was actually Newcastle's midfield was so well set up and especially even more so when they kind of went down to 10 men, that kind of bank, that line across the middle. He just barely got the ball. They couldn't find him. They manned him, basically. There was one moment where Graven Birch was able to kind of draw Joel into now and punch one through that midfield block. That was the only time Virch actually kind of received the ball like that. I agree with Kish. I think people see like small, nimble, diminutive player coming from the Bundesliga and have it in their mind that, oh, there's, because of like Havertz, Werner, even though Havertz has made a good career for himself to be fair in the Premier League.
Read the full transcript
24:16Kish:Like people just have this in their mind that Bundesliga players flop and they see it as like a more open game, not as physical, that kind of stuff. And like, yeah, you're spot on. It's more about intensity rather than physicality because there aren't many number 10s. Kuliszewski is probably one of the only like number 10s and he's not even a proper, proper an out and out 10 himself that is like big and strong. Yeah, like what do they want from a 10? They want a 6 '4", 10. Yeah, exactly. I don't get that. And I think Kuliszewski probably struggles in certain aspects of being able to play in that position because of that, but he thrives in so many other ways because of it as well.
24:50Kish:So it's like you don't want, you want someone who's as nimble and as small as him. And it's just, yeah, it's like... He's not a midget. I think people think he's like 5 '6 or something. He's 5 '10. Yeah.
25:00Ben Bowman:And it's because he looks young as well, I think. It's kind of because he looks like a,
25:03Kish:he's got like a baby face and looks quite small. I think that's kind of why.
25:06Ben Bowman:He's fine. He dealt with England. He scored that amazing goal against England. He shoved Declan Rice off the ball and smashed it in the top corner. Yeah, and that's an interesting part of his game that I think people don't necessarily attribute to him or if they haven't watched him play. You look at him, you think in number 10, I guess he's slight in build, baby face, but he's actually quite aggressive. And his work rate is sensational as well. His attitude to the game and to follow instruction is incredible. and he had a very strange sort of rise to being signed eventually by Leipzig being sent out on loan all over the place then PSV managed to get him on a free but with a buyback option which was activated almost immediately when they saw how good he was playing for PSV so he went back to PSG and then he was loaned out to Leipzig and they eventually signed him recently wasn't it like last year last summer one year yeah for 50 million euros and now we've sold him to us for 60 million
26:04Kish:euros which i don't understand yeah i want to add as well to that is that he's been he's the first social media kid star like you know how nowadays you get like even like mike mikey more at 14 15 people started knowing about him i mean there's so many now but before before all that there was him like he was one of the first and it's because he had like such a striking image he was like a massive blonde afro playing for barcelona and la masia um was the captain of of their their age groups every every year and he was sort of meant to be this is the next the next big thing and so for him to actually live up to that and take a few like backwards steps to go forwards in his career like he left barcelona to psg then psg weren't giving him a pathway so psv then back to psg and again no pathway so went to leipzig like he's obviously willing to work and he's not there just to let his name sort of carry him because he's been hyped since a kid.
27:02Kish:And to be able to handle that and one, not crumble, but two, then also not get too big for his boots.
27:10Ben Bowman:You see it all the time, Kish, don't you? The amount of times where a player's been hyped up or been thrown into the limelight and just cannot maintain it because the level of dedication it takes and support around you to keep your head on your shoulders and knowing that hard work is as important as the God-given talent he has. And for him to be able to do that, be willing to move, be willing to leave PSG in pursuit of playing time when he's had that much hype since he was 12 years old, just shows you, and to be captain at every level, as you mentioned, just shows you something about his mentality.
27:44Kish:Yeah.
27:45Ben Bowman:We were talking about this last night
27:46Kish:when we did a live. It was like, when you're looking at him, his entourage, he's got a super agent whose name escapes me, but he's also got his brother, Faustino Simmons, who's part of his entourage in terms of advising him and stuff like that. And it does feel like he's a footballer that's been very well actually advised and he's maneuvered through his career, actually, like you just said, very, very well. And I think the fact that maybe it's purely simply down to the fact that Chelsea didn't make a bid in the end for him and Tottenham capitalized on opportunity, but he's 100 % made the right decision again, even without bias, because he's going to come here and he's going to play minutes and he's arguably going to be the face one of the faces of this face of the franchise essentially here um i was watching a thing that coach's voice actually put out yesterday of like van istoroy when he was um the manager of psv he wanted him to come and he was talking about how receptive he was to the plan for him there like when he went on loan and how receptive he was to kind of the feedback and the criticism how i can improve your game and all this kind of stuff and it's just he just absolutely exploded and it just feels like he's taking the right step after right step which isn't you know which isn't common necessarily in young players that get so much hype around them from such a young age like chelsea were in for him when he was 12 12 yeah it's just like i saw that and it's um yeah it feels like he's he's picked his choices really really well which is i was on that shoot with vanistaroy and he couldn't speak highly enough of him i mean you would see that way that was off the back of that season of course you worked with coaches voices yeah um and they psv i mean they they they won the cup i think they went close for the league but simmons was their main main man and like top scorer in the league was he top yes he put up crazy numbers and also that was his that was his like a i felt like he wanted to show the world that he's not just like this this instagram sort of kid and that was his first step into like um senior football and he just took it straight away and just like it was like he belonged there.
29:44Kish:So I think that was a great first step. And then Leipzig's I think been another good step for him. That's a step up in league, step up in pressure, like Champions League games, obviously involved with the Netherlands as well. And then Spurs does feel like the next logical step up. And I feel like that career seems like it's been planned out very well. Hopefully this is the end.
30:06Ben Bowman:Yeah, I mean, he won't have a choice. Send me a contract. He's not going anywhere. 32 if the options are exercised so yeah he's stuck now with the rest of us yeah good choice up until now then oh yeah no he's made a massive mistake don't get me wrong but
30:20Kish:he's our mistake now so yeah i think as well like i do think when you talk about his mentality and that kind of in terms of taking the next step i do think people might look at simmons and think because of his game is all about that kind of adding that stardust like that star quality kind of in the final third it's like he's played in a team especially at leipzig where you have to be resilient you have to work so hard because of the counter pressing win the ball back such an energetic team like you when you spoke about the intensity of the premier league the bundesliga probably does replicate that quite a lot more compared to other leagues in terms of intensity and he's always in there winning the ball back always they're working so hard and i think people again just because of the image and the moments of magic that he will create people might have that perception that he's a luxury when he's anything but he gives you the quality of what you'd expect from a luxury player, but with everything else on top of it as well, in terms of the sacrifice, in terms of like working hard, embracing physical contact, riding challenges, doing everything for the team.
31:18Kish:Like he's, it's a real, it's a top signing.
31:22Ben Bowman:Like just, it just is. Let's look at some of these statistics based on that, that sub stack I mentioned earlier. So they compared Simmons as a Gibbs way and Nico Paz. Simmons is in terms of his shooting, is 0.5, he has goals 0.4 per 90. So more or less a goal every other game. Is that right? No, every four games. No, every other game. Every other game. I've got D in maths at GCSE. Actually, overperformance is 0.2, which is better than all the others. The goals per 90 is better than all the others. Eze was 0.2, Gibbs White 0.2. Simmons 0.4. This is the most interesting thing for me. the shot on target conversion rate.
32:03Ben Bowman:So when he gets a shot on goal, how many times did he hit the target? 43%. That's good. Eze is at 26%. And Paz is at 16%. Gibbs White, 33%. And I should say, and I'm sure everybody's worked out, that Simmons batters Eze on almost every single metric. Of course he does. You can enjoy this as it goes through. Statistically, if you take any, and I'm sure you do, most of you by this point do, um the statistics tell you something about the game and a lot of things and you combine that with the eye test you pretty much get a rounded picture of how good a player is um so that's his position in terms of shooting um i think his shooting is one thing that spurs fans will love
32:50Kish:and i think go on tell it why was that because i think we spurs have like most teams do have a an issue of breaking low blocks like and just just breaking teams down at times in the Premier League is just hard like they're so well coached yeah um such good defenders in the league across the league um and I think there's so much to be said about someone who can shoot from range just within a like if they give them an inch of space just to be able to shoot and and find the corners um and I think we saw Ericsson do this a couple times when he was here um and really get got us out of jail um Bale obviously used to do it um and I think those players really matter in across the season when you're when you're you know it's the 75th 80th minute it's nil nil someone to get you out of jail um is so key and Simmons has got such good technique on his shooting um he has such a great sort of signature finish where he looks to bend it shapes up as if he's going to bend it into the far corner and then reverses it to the near post.
33:56Kish:And that's something Mbappe always does. It's such a difficult shot because keepers get planted because they've gone to one side and then don't have time to go back. And it also often goes through defenders' legs. And it's a shot that's very, very effective. So I think Spursans will really, really enjoy his shooting from range.
34:15Ben Bowman:He's as good as Mbappe. That's interesting. That's interesting. Let's move on to the passing. Simmons, Eze, Gibbs-White and Paz again, sorry. Same players. I won't mention that again. So assist per 90, he actually ranks fourth, but it's so close. He's 0.25. Eze's 0.28. Gibbs-White is 0.26. And Paz is 0.27. But interestingly, progressive passes per 90. Simmons has got 5.8 per game. 3.3 for Eze. Gibbs-White is also 5.2. And Paz is 5.4. Passes into the penalty area, which is per 90 is 2.5. And the other is Pallington Significance 1, 1.3, 1.2. And key passes, two key passes a game, which is essentially key passes would be create a good chance, right?
35:07Ben Bowman:Or create a low-scoring opportunity. His through balls are sensational as well, isn't it? His weighted passes and vision is a massive part of his game, isn't it?
35:19Kish:Yeah, well, also, I think he's very eager to break the lock, like to try things. I think sometimes actually to the team's detriment at times, I think that might be something that Frank looks to coach him a bit. He has that kind of, yeah, that wanting to make things happen gene, which I think you always want from your number 10. You don't want to ever strip that back from someone completely. but I think at times he can force things a little bit but that I think is such a thing that just comes with experience and knowing when to try and make things happen and when to focus on retaining possession and taking this thing out of the game a bit more but I think his eye for a pass is so good he's so positive, he's so brave in terms of the things he tries he wants to be the hero, he wants to make things happen and yeah I think that's exactly what you want from your from your number 10 we need a hero yeah you're the hero and it's also like when you think about the dynamic of that front line I think as well when you've got someone two players in Cuddis and Simmons who are such strong ball carries but when you think about like when you're looking at when we played City the other week I know it was a little bit more of a transitional kind of game where we looked to be a bit more direct but players like Cuddis need a couple of players on them to try and stop them that opens up more space for Simmons to not have to unpick the lock all the time or try the most outrageous, inventive thing to try and break someone down.
36:52Kish:It's like he will benefit from the space that he gets to operate in a lot of the time because of that. And the same when Kulicevsky comes back into the team as well. Sometimes it takes more than two players to try and stop someone like that when they go in like they can. And then vice versa with Simmons as well. Like I said, he thrives on that physical contact, but teams want to get players around him to try and stop him. So that opens up when you've got that balance of quality across the front line. hopefully that kind of breaking down of low block shouldn't be as much of an issue when you've just got that much quality in the team.
37:21Ben Bowman:You can imagine him playing him in a 4-2-3-1. In a dream world, when you think about us building attacks in the assumption that it's not, that we don't get Savinia out the line, because if we find, if we somehow buy him Savinia, as him and Kudus as a front three behind what I think will venture be Salanke is fucking sexual it really is but that what you mentioned there Ben about Kudus holding them off they can't do anything but put men on Kudus otherwise he'll destroy you you've seen it you saw it against PSG but you saw it against in particular Man City that when Kudus got the ball they harried him and pressed him as fast as they could and it just takes so much out of their create so much space essentially and if he's then put able to square it to simmons it's just waiting there in acres of space like what how it's going to be such a difficult thing for coaches to set up against tottenham and try and figure out how to break
38:24Kish:that combination and i think that's so key because what i said before i think if we signed i mean even now but if we also sign savinho we're going to face so many low blocks it's basically going to be like what Man City face most of the time and then that's about how how can you pretty much break and I think all three of those forgetting Savino but if if you count Savino as well all three of those are so good against low blocks because they have such imagination creativity they're like players that you kind of let solve problems on their own because they're yeah they're imaginative and and they can kind of pull something out of nothing and that's what you want against low blocks you want to you want a bit of magic basically to try and break it down um so I think that that's the key when you're when you're facing those and it's also like when like I said earlier as well like when Madison does come back there is 100 % a world in which they can play together because a lot of the time when you've got that much territory or that much possession in the other team's half you're going to be spending long periods of time on the ball and then you've got players like Madison and Jarry Simmons who of course like you said Kish they want to force it because they want to make something happen they've got that kind of instinct and that gene but they're also happy to stay on the ball for longer periods of time as well and be patient to kind of wear teams down and kind of also like with could with could sorry with simmons and madison also kind of like floating into each other's spaces a lot of room for kind of rotation there you don't necessarily like obviously if we don't get savinho over the line there's not many i don't think there's many like 1v1 wingers out there that would be in our sort of realm of realistic or realism that would move the needle as much as him so how do you find other solutions to kind of break teams down do you put simmons on the left as kind of another 10 with someone overlapping him to kind of create that width and just allow him and madison to just float in each other's spaces it's like and cause chaos through doing that i think that's a breakthrough this episode is brought to you by facebook so you were scrolling on marketplace and there it was the bike you'd been searching for.
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41:28Ben Bowman:sauce at mcdonald's for a limited time it seems i think that's the key it's like yeah 1v1 threat
41:35Kish:is a is a great way to break a low block but there's so many different ways of breaking it i think constant movement in and around the box constant combinations um really pulling defenders out of position, going into positions they're not familiar with, constantly rotating. I think that's another great way to break and find gaps. And you need high technical players and highly intelligent players to do that, which is what those two are. So I think that's definitely true.
42:01Ben Bowman:This is how important he's going to be around the blocks. And like you say, against low blocks, his progressive carries per nightly is 3.5. His touches in the penalty area are 3.4, which is higher than all the other compared players. And the most key thing, given the fact that how important set pieces are to Frank, and one way to beat a low block is to get corners and free kicks against them. And he draws 0.4 fouls a game that lead to shooting positions. So that's getting fouled around the box that lead to us being able to shoot on goal or cross. And again, more than Gibbs White has. And of course, Eze.
42:43Ben Bowman:what's so surprising about this and why we're so buzzing is that he was possibly the best option available out there and I remember getting super frustrated with Daniel Levy last week as I think most of us were when it felt like we were running out of time and the players that we thought were gettable were either sold or it just felt like we wouldn't be able to get our act together to get them done like Morgan Rogers feels like a million miles away, even though Philip appeared to be willing to sell. He just never felt like that was an option, although we're apparently still linked. But Xavi Simmonds just felt like another stratosphere.
43:22Ben Bowman:Like, we suppose don't sign players like this. And that was the criticism that we didn't operate in the way that Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, like you could definitely see him signing for all of those teams, but not Tottenham. And maybe things have changed. And if it continues, then maybe Denleby is all right. I don't know.
43:39Kish:Yeah, I think the thing is, I've spoken about this a few times today, like the process and how we got here does worry you about future transfer windows, I guess. And you live so much in the moment as a football fan as well, especially in this kind of constant stream of information from Fabrizio Romano and all these kind of other journalists that you're getting so wound up about things. And obviously it was such an issue that Spurs needed to address as well, number 10. So it's frustrating that it's kind of taken this long and frustrating the way that things have happened. but like I said earlier it's kind of when you are you kind of have to credit the board and the club in some way for being that ambitious in the first place that kind of leads to these sort of problems so it's you kind of it's a bit of both really like it does worry you the panic and kind of how we've been still shown our place in the food chain essentially by like Eze going to Arsenal and all that kind of stuff but we've got very much our own back in that sense we've shown that we can kind of compete with these bigger teams by getting in arguably the best of the lot all kind of similar players but all sort of different sorts of players.
44:40Kish:But I think Simmons is the one that fits us the best. I think one of the reasons actually, I read a really good Athletic article about this the other day that was kind of saying one of the reasons that Simmons hasn't actually moved is because he's a bit of an awkward fit for like a lot of other teams. And naturally, obviously Spurs' priority signing was a number 10. But also like it just makes the most sense in terms of fit. So maybe that's why when Tottenham came back in, it's like that's one of the reasons it moved a little bit more quickly. I don't know with that kind of desperation. So it's kind of worked both ways for us in a way.
45:07Kish:it does worry you a bit about the future but we've always been worried about that anyway I think so many teams now don't play a 10 and also they want their wingers to be well 1v1 threats really athletic and obviously Simmons is athletic for a 10 I wouldn't say he's athletic as like a Doku or a Savino or someone so I think that's probably where the awkward fit comes if he's going to play on the left you want him more in the pockets with a fullback going around him and obviously if he's going to play midfield you probably want him in the 10s I think that is another reason why he suits us really well.
45:41Ben Bowman:Matt Law has tweeted Javi Simmons transfer has broken down Tottenham he's just he's just tweeted that Javi Simmons is now officially a Tottenham Oxfair player five plus two years everything is signed at all ends announcement on its way from Tottenham. You fucker
45:57Kish:but you clever fucker.
45:59Ben Bowman:Any part of you did your heart jump a little bit? No because I just read that on Twitter a couple of minutes ago.
46:05Kish:I nearly had me.
46:07Ben Bowman:I found it earlier doing it, but like Kish, you wouldn't have seen this, but in the WhatsApp group, I was going, I've just had some news. Chelsea actually have come in. No, no, no. There was a scan that's come back from the medical fund. It's going into the right detail. They found scarring in the hamstring. They didn't come up in the first scan. And I was like, why am I doing this? Why am I doing? This is horrible.
46:31Kish:As you were typing, I could sense the lack of conviction. I immediately gave up.
46:36Ben Bowman:I immediately said, I don't know why I did it. I don't know what happened there. I just thought, let me wind them up. But it's just a horrible thing to do. I've got one final question to ask you, boys. And that's about the price and the wages. Now, he'll be Tottenham's top earner by some distance, £200 ,000 a week, over a seven-year deal, or a five-year deal with two as an option. And obviously, his wages are going to go up in that period. Are there any concerns there? The money, the transfer fee feels amazing. 50 million pounds i think or 52 million pounds 60 million euros um the wages are significant but you have to spend them to get this kind of quality of player in that's my thoughts what are yours
47:17Kish:same but i just i think you've you've got to eventually you've got to push that button otherwise you're not going to kind of get these sorts of players over the line you've got to break that model to an extent and also like we lost um we lost son who was our highest earner in the transfer window anyway. He's basically just on Son's wages. The overall package is obviously expensive, but you have to pay those sorts of wages to bring in players that are going to move the needle as instantly as someone like Simmons hopefully will do. But then when you balance that with the value of the transfer fee, it's a really decent package for Spurs.
47:51Kish:And then on top of that, you add in the fact that we've got him and Kudus, two players that are going to instantly improve Tottenham, who just, like, the thought of going to Spurs to watch them for a combined fee of basically£100 million is insane value. So I'm not going to sit here and bitch about the fact that he's on loads of money. I don't care. He's on less money
48:12Ben Bowman:than Kai Havertz and he's on less money than Gabriel Jaysis.
48:17Kish:I think it does mark a bit of a shift, though, because I think all of our highest earners have been players that have come in, done well, and then got a bumper contract. This is the first time Apart from Ndombele. Yeah, Ndombele.
48:31Ben Bowman:Always be the anomaly, won't you, on everything?
48:33Kish:Yeah. So I think that is a bit of a statement there. But I think I was screaming for, not necessarily a direct replacement for Son, but when you lose a player of that, not just that quality, but just that stature. I think a club as big as Spurs and all the top clubs in the world need a talismanic figure. And everyone has one. apart from us when Son left and I think this could be it for us. Yeah, every franchise needs a face and it feels like we're coming to ours. It's a nice face as well, I think. Yeah, it is. Yeah. I mean, I don't...
49:08Ben Bowman:Again, it feels weird to set up a 43-man comment. You guys are a similar age to him so I'll let you guys do that. Yeah. But yes, I mean, I wouldn't mind it if my daughter brought him home. That would be fine. Yeah. Respect. Yeah, I mean, he's five years older than my daughter which is mental. Anyway, this is showing my age here. So how does this change the expectations for the season, Kish?
49:31Kish:I'm actually not just saying this. I genuinely think we can compete for top trophies. I genuinely think that. I think the squad is so nicely balanced. I think there's slight concerns around both ends of the pitch. I think there's a slight concern for me around the goalkeeper and there's a slight concern about the number nine.
49:58Ben Bowman:I'm with you there.
50:00Kish:I think everywhere else, I think we've got enough quality. Obviously, you're not going to have top, top quality in every single position, but I think we've got enough depth and quality to really do something. And with Frank's ability to profile players really well, also looking at the Champions League draw and stuff like that, I'm not saying we'll win anything major, but I think we'll really compete this year for everything. That's what I think. I love it. Yeah, I think we can. Why not? When you look at that squad. And also, I think as much as anything, I think the transfer business that we've done, regardless of how we've got here, I think it's been really positive.
50:40Kish:More to come as well, building that balance of...
50:43Ben Bowman:Just on that, what you end up at the end of the transfer window doesn't reflect how... or it doesn't mean that your feelings towards the window weren't valid at the time.
50:56Kish:Yeah, of course. We're still, when the window shuts at seven o 'clock on Monday, I feel like we're all still going to feel like we need a nap for like a week. But it's still like, if you just said at the start of the window that we get these three players, plus maybe another winger that, I don't know, say for example, someone like a lookman, or an incentive back depth, you're just 10 out of 10, like pretty much.
51:13Ben Bowman:Mate, if we sign, like Akanji, Akanji looks gettable because of his age and perhaps they're moving him out. And the money's like 15 million pounds. He was going to AC Milan. It might shift a little bit for Spurs. I like that. At 30 years old, you know, he would be more than suitable back up to Van de Ven or Romero if he was injured. And we've got Danso. Dragerson's back in training.
51:40Kish:And you can also play right back in a more reserved role, which I think Frank will maybe look towards at some point. Yeah. But that's another point.
51:49Ben Bowman:So if we signed him and we signed, I mean, in a dream world, Savinho, Savinho, but it, was it Savinho? Yeah. That, that, that's probably the greatest window we've ever had. Yeah.
52:06Kish:What did, what did Ange say that when we beat Sheffield United? It was like, let them dream. Let them dream. Let them dream, mate. Let them dream, mate. Let them dream.
52:14Ben Bowman:Let them dream. He shouldn't have said that because we started dreaming. Well, hang on a minute. You just said we can dream. No one says that. Everyone calm down a little bit. That was a blessing. I do miss it. I was thinking I was walking towards Marks and Spencer's to buy a New York cheddar cheese sandwich. That's my life. I live, boys. Nice. You can aspire to it if you like. And I was thinking about Postacoglu and whether or not he's watching the games and just thinking, oh, mate.
52:45Kish:was the sandwich relevant to boss coglia was that just a side note i was thinking about the beef that
52:49Ben Bowman:he was eating the other day and uh i think it all just sort of fed in um boys thank you so much kish go and um follow lily white lab uh where you can find all of kish's musings you can also he's got tiktok account which is lily white lab i saw you moaning actually earlier um about people saying they'd never heard of javi simmons who said you found a tweet or something a message
53:09Kish:no i replied to the comment because you can you can reply to comments with a video on tiktok that's right um yeah yeah i mean if you haven't heard of javi simmons at this point i don't know i don't know why are you attacking people no no you can't be helped but why are you attacking
53:23Ben Bowman:people for having heard of him when it's like i don't know it's like you haven't heard of fucking i don't know yeah well yeah yeah something like that like i know next to nothing about football outside of tottenham um actually i was challenged the other day to name as many wolves players as i I got to saw the goalkeeper, Matt Doherty, because he used to play for Spurs. And I'm really fucked because Aitnori and Kuno have left. That was like half my, and then I was like, fuck, I can't do anymore than Andre Gomez. Anyway, I know fuck all is busy, what I'm saying. So I've got these boys on the pod to tell us everything we need to know about Xavi Simmonds.
54:06Ben Bowman:And no doubt, other players come in before the end. Maybe one more, hopefully. One more and they're all forgiven Daniel Levy. I wonder what the protests are going to look like tomorrow. Be interesting. Kish, Ben, legends. Nice one. Cheers.
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From the publisher
We sat down with Ben Bowman and Kish from Lilywhite Lab to dive into Tottenham’s huge capture of Xavi Simons. We break down what makes him such a special talent, why his ball-carrying, creativity, and mentality set him apart, and how Thomas Frank could build a side around him. We also look at where he fits with Brennan Johnson, Mohammed Kudus, and the rest of Spurs’ attack, what this means for breaking down low blocks, and how the signing changes our ambitions this season. Is this the shift Spurs fans have been waiting for?
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